The term parasite is applied to those living beings that are characterized by eating and living on another organism which is called the host, without the latter providing any kind of benefit to the latter. In general, when this type of situation occurs, a set of negative scenarios can arise for the host, caused by the fact that an individual lives at the expense of another living organism, generating injuries and deterioration. When a parasite is installed in a host, a symbiotic relationship is established, in which the parasite will become dependent on the host, which will undoubtedly be detrimental to whoever harbors the parasite.
Thanks to this symbiotic relationship, the parasite makes sure to maintain the supply of some of its vitally important requirements, be it its diet, reproduction, etc. In the case of reproduction, there are species of parasites that are characterized because they can only reproduce through the host, since the latter will be in charge of providing the minimum conditions required so that the eggs can be a vital need for the species of parasites. reproduction, which many times can only take place in a symbiotic relationship with a host that offers the necessary conditions for the eggs to develop correctly.
On the other hand, it is possible that parasites are classified depending on the type of lodging that they present with respect to the host, for this reason they are divided into two large groups: endoparasites, characterized by being those parasites that live within the host organism, while that ectoparasites are those who are characterized by living outside the host.
There are occasions where parasites can become hosts of a third organism, which is called hyperparasite, it is at that moment when a kind of link is established where the hyperparasite lives at the expense of the parasite and the latter does the same as the host. As time passes, the different organisms have managed to evolve in regard to their defense mechanisms, who are responsible for preventing parasites from being driven away or, failing that, that their action harms the least possible. However, parasites have not been left behind since they too have been forced to evolve, through natural selection, developing different characteristics in their morphology and physiology.
